Julian's Future

I remember
1989
the NASA Galileo launch
almost 50 pounds
of deadly toxic
plutonium-238 onboard
 
The Florida Coalition
for Peace & Justice
went to court
trying to
block the launch

What happens
if there is a launch
mishap?

What happens if
Galileo failed to
achieve proper
orbit like the
Russian Mars '96 mission
falling back to Earth
burning up on reentry
spreading radioactive plutonium
over Chile and Bolivia?

What happens when workers
at Los Alamos Labs
get contaminated as they
fabricate the plutonium
generators for these
space missions?

In 1989 we also protested
the Galileo launch
at the Kennedy Space Center
I came home
to be greeted at the door
by my son Julian
then 9 years old
wearing my gas mask
telling me,
trying to make me
feel better,
"Don't worry Dad,
if Galileo explodes
I could just wear
this for the rest
of my life."

Parents are supposed
to protect
their children
not the other way around
Julian was trying
to protect me
and in that moment
I promised myself
Nothing is more important
than me spending
the rest of my life
making sure
that Julian
and the coming generations
have a chance
at a real future.